


A scream cuts through

by faithlessone



Category: Dollhouse
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-01
Updated: 2011-05-01
Packaged: 2017-10-18 20:56:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 280
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/193209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/faithlessone/pseuds/faithlessone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A vignette in the Dollhouse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A scream cuts through

**Author's Note:**

> I did actually write this just after the first episode. "Grey Hour" freaked me out.

A scream cuts through the happy quiet.

Topher runs to the window. The dolls shouldn’t be screaming. It’s a primal urge, to be sure, a deep subconscious action, but to scream, you need to have emotion. Fear, anger, excitement.

Dolls don’t have emotions. They don’t know how.

The dolls are still, no longer calmly going about their daily activities. Some seem frozen; Juliet is in the middle of taking a step, her foot ever so slightly off the floor. Delta is floating in the pool, her arm gently resting on the water, halfway through a stroke. Luckily, she is face-up. The water gently rocks her, but she stays motionless.

This shouldn’t be happening.

Topher looks around for the cause of the scream. Couldn’t be a doll. Couldn’t be.

Claire.

Her hand is over her mouth, eyes darting in fear. They find Topher. Bringing her hand down, he sees her say something. The sound doesn’t carry, but he can read lips well enough to mark her meaning.

“What did you do?”

He presses his hands to the window in a silent surrender. “Not me,” he mouths. She doesn’t seem to believe him. He runs down the stairs, waves a hand in front of Juliet’s eyes. She doesn’t blink.

In the deathly quiet, he hears a high pitched, almost silent buzz. All at once, the dolls start moving again. Juliet carries on walking as if she never stopped. Delta finishes her stroke and hits the edge of the pool, easily tumbling to do another length.

Echo is the only one who looks puzzled. She looks up at Topher, and the words she says make him freeze in worry.

“Did I fall asleep?”


End file.
